Western Swap Tortoises test out new colder, wetter South-West home

An ambitious plan to safeguard the future of Australia's most endangered reptile has begun in Western Australia's South West.

Once feared extinct, the Western Swamp Tortoise was re-discovered in the 1950s in wetlands on the fringes of the Perth metropolitan area.

However scientists are predicting much of their habitat will dry up by 2050, prompting a search for a new home for the species.

A total of 24 juvenile Western Swamp Tortoises bred in captivity at Perth Zoo have been re-homed near the South-West towns of Northcliffe and Augusta to see how they adapt to a colder, wetter environment.

Radio trackers have been attached to the shells of the tortoises so researchers can check in every two weeks to see how they are faring.

Senior research scientist with the Department of Parks and Wildlife Gerald Kuchling said while some were sceptical of how successful the translocation process would be, he was adamant it was the right move.

"If we take no action at all, then there's a high likelihood the species may just go extinct and disappear," he said.

"According to the predictions for the next 50 to 100 years, the rainfall in the South West should still be sufficient for them to complete their general lifecycle to re-produce.

"We're not sure that will still be the case in the area they live now.